This article possibly contains original research .(January 2024) |
Address | ArtsEmerson 120 Boylston Street Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre 219 Tremont Street Paramount Center 559 Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts United States |
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Owner | Emerson College |
Capacity | Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre: 1172 Paramount Center: Robert J. Orchard Stage: 572 Jackie Leibergott Black Box: 125 Bright Family Screening Room: 170 |
Years active | 2010 to present |
Website | |
artsemerson |
ArtsEmerson is a non-profit, professional theater and film presenting and producing organization in Boston, Massachusetts. Based on an idea from Emerson College President Jackie Liebergott and founded in 2010 by theatrical producer Robert Orchard, ArtsEmerson is housed as part of the Office for the Arts at Emerson College's Boston campus. The organization focuses on contemporary world theater and presents or produces theatrical performances, films, and public dialogues across several Emerson College venues and in locations across Greater Boston. [1] [2]
ArtsEmerson’s first season in 2010–11 featured 17 theater productions, 92 films, and four concerts. [2]
Robert Orchard founded ArtsEmerson and was its first executive director. In 2012, David Dower joined the organization as Director of Artistic Programs. P. Carl joined ArtsEmerson as Creative Director in 2013, having joined the Office of the Arts as Director of HowlRound. In 2015, Robert Orchard shifted to the role of Founder and Creative Consultant and David C. Howse joined as executive director. [3] Also in 2015, David Dower, P. Carl, and David Howse began a "three-legged" leadership period, sharing leadership as two co-Artistic Directors (Dower and Carl) and an executive director (Howse). This partnership which continued until P. Carl's departure in 2017. David Dower departed in 2021. ArtsEmerson is currently under interim leadership of Interim Executive Director of the Office of the Arts & ArtsEmerson Director of Artistic Programming, Ronee Penoi (Laguna Pueblo/Cherokee). Penoi joined ArtsEmerson in 2021. [4] Penoi currently co-leads Office of the Arts with Jamie Gahlon, the Associate Vice President of Office of the Arts and Director of HowlRound.
ArtsEmerson was named "Boston's Best Theater" by Boston magazine in 2013 and again in 2015. [5] In 2019, WBUR recognized ArtsEmerson as a "A Model For Equity In The Arts", stating, "From its inception, ArtsEmerson has instituted programs at the intersection of civic dialogue and artistic exploration that have expanded its audience and engaged communities that arts organizations have historically ignored." [6]
With the guidance of a teaching artist, Play Reading Book Club (PRBC) participants read and discuss selected plays from each ArtsEmerson season, over a four-week period. PRBC participants attend the play they have studied, attend a reception and private question and answer session with a creative member of the production, and receive resources to enhance the experience of a live theater performance. [39]
After selected performances, audience members, artists, and members of the ArtsEmerson staff hold discussions related to performance content. [40]
The Community Curators program allows Boston artists and organizers to produce events in ArtsEmerson's downtown spaces. Two consistent Community Curators programs are the film-based series' Shared Stories and Projecting Connections.
Shared Stories is a monthly film series presented by ArtsEmerson in collaboration with the Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF), [41] CineFest Latino Boston, and the Roxbury Film Festival. ArtsEmerson also presents Projecting Connections: Chinese American Experiences, a film series highlighting the lives of the Chinese in the Greater Boston Area.
Films presented as part of Projecting Connections include:
Each season features an artist in residence, showcasing their work and introducing them to Boston-based artists.
ArtsEmerson artists in residence:
ArtsEmerson's public facing offerings, as opposed to events produced by students and faculty, are spread across four main spaces: the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre (1,172 seats) and the Emerson Paramount Center, which encompasses the Robert J. Orchard Stage (renamed in honor of founder Robert Orchard) [45] (572 seats), the Jackie Liebergott Black Box (126 variable seats), and the Bright Family Screening Room (primarily for film presentation at 170 seats).
ArtsEmerson also uses the Semel Theatre [44] (216 seats) and The Kermit and Elinore Greene Theater (130 seats), both part of the Tufte Performance Production Center at Emerson College, for artistic residency work and housing. Other activities take place in a variety of public spaces throughout Greater Boston.
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